Earth-auger



(No Model.)

.T. A. PORTER.

EARTH AUGER.

Patented May 26, 1885.

WITNES V 6/ w/ywagg ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Pmwmhc n", Wahinglnn. D. r.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT @rrren.

THOMAS A. PORTER, OF CAMERON, TEXAS.

EARTH-AUGER.

EPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,653, dated May 26,1885.

Application filed July 30, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. PORTER, of Cameron, in the county of Milamand State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Earth-Auger, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new and improved earth-auger made funnelshaped, with side cutting-edges, and adapted to be inverted for emptyingthe auger; and the invention consists of the construction andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my new and improved auger. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing in dotted lines the body of the anger in invertedposition. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional plan views taken respectively onthe lines m w and y g of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows the auger provided with anextension; and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the same taken on theline 2 z of Fig. 5.

The body A of the anger is composed of the two semi-coneshaped shells orsections a a. These are placed face to face and joined at the apex, andprovided there with the penetrating-point I), and they are secured attheir upper ends to the braces c c by the rivets (shown in Fig. 2) insuch manner that one end of each shell or section sets out on oppositesides of the body A to form the cutting edges or lips d d,- and thesecutting-edges may be faced with steel plates, if desired, to increasetheir durability.

The braces c c are secured at their upper ends to the shaft or handle Bby the pivot e, and the upper ends of the braces reach some distancebeyond the pivot to receive the sliding clasp 0 upon them, which, whenin place upon the ends of the said braces, locks the handle and bracesin proper alignment with each other for use; but by slipping the claspoff from the upper ends of the braces c c, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 2, the braces 0 may be turned upon the pivot e for inverting thebody A, as shown in dotted lines in said figure, for emptying the bodyof its load of dirt.

To increase the capacity of the auger, I shall in some cases provide thebody A with the cylindrical extension D, (shown in Figs. and 6,) inwhich case the braces c a will be riveted to the upper end of extensionD, instead of to the body A, as will be understood from the saidlast-mentioned figures.

I design my new earth-auger more espe cially for digging post-holes; butit may be made upon a large scale and used for digging wells; and it isrendered very eficient by the cutting-edges d, which cut the wholelength of the body, and by the described formation and arrangement ofthe cutting-edges the head fills as rapidly at the top as at the bottom,so

that the cutting is not against a pressure of dirt within the head A;and owing to the hinging of the braces c c the head may be veryeasilyand quickly emptied and set again for use.

The cutting-edges (1, instead of being made straight, may be madecurved, or slightly spiral, if desired, and the penetrating-point Z) maybe a plain point or augenshaped; or it may be shaped like thelpoint of adrill, as shown.

I am aware that an earth-auger has been composed of three arms attachedto the shaft near the point, and bent upward from the point to make aconical shape, 011 which arms are fastened bottom plates, a bandsecuring their upper ends, and a cylindrical case resting on the bandabove the auger. I do not claim such as of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The body A, composed of two semicone-shaped sections, a a, joinedtogether at their lower ends, with their vertical cuttingedges out ofline to form two throats on opposite sides of the body,penetrating-point b, and braces c c, riveted to the upper ends of saidsections, to one side of their centers, to hold the sections apart attheir upper ends, whereby the throats are made to extend from end to endof the body, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the cone-shaped head A and braces c, of theextension D, attached to the upper end of the head A, substantially asshown and described.

THOMAS A. PORTER.

Vitnesses:

L. L. RUssELL, T. E. LANKFORD.

